AN IMPORTANT HISTORICAL FACT REGARDING THE RIGHT OF ARMENIANS OF ARTSAKH TO SELF-DETERMINATION

During the sovietization of Armenia in 1920 The Revolutionary Committee of Azerbaijan issued a statement on November 30, 1920 stating that there was no longer a border issue between Soviet Azerbaijan and Soviet Armenia, Zangezur and Nakhichevan passed to Armenia, and the mountainous part of Karabakh was given the right to self-determination. The decree was published in the Baku "Communist" newspaper on December 2, 1920. Moreover, the Revolutionary Committee of Azerbaijan thereafter announced: "From today, border disputes between Armenia and Azerbaijan are non-existent. Nagorno Karabakh, Zangezur and Nakhichevan are considered parts of the Soviet Armenia." The decision-application was published in the 1920 issue of the Yerevan "Communist" newspaper in its December 7th issue.

It is an interesting fact that the Caucasian bureau of the Central Committee of the RC (b) on June 3, 1921, instructed the government of Soviet Armenia to declare "Nagorno Karabakh belonging to Armenia" in a Declaration. The decision of the Bureau was made unanimously, the chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of Azerbaijan N. Narimanov was among those who supported it.

In fulfillment of the decision of the Caucasus Bureau, the People's Council of the USSR, the Prime Minister A. Myasnikyan, 1921 adopted a corresponding statement on June 12:

“Based on the declaration of the Revolutionary Committee of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Azerbaijan and the agreement between the governments of the Soviet Socialist Republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan, it is announced that Nagorno-Karabakh is now an integral part of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Armenia."

Arman Tatoyan

The Human Rights Defender of Armenia